Frank bean



P. BEAN. ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER.

Patented Jan. 28.1868.

m: Nonms PETER: co. vuotaumo.. wAsHmn-rcw. o. c.

@uiten gisten. @anni @ffice FRANK BEAN, OF BOSTON, i MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,

E. E. BEAN, AND LEVI H. STR-AW. I

IMPROVEMENT 1N BLEGTRIG eis-LIGHTING ,Il PPAPurPUs.v

dln diehule ruimt to in tiges: itters @that iiui making part nf the smug.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN:

e it known that I, FRANK BEAN, of Boston, ln the county of Suffolk, and Statb'of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Electric Gas-Lightin`g and Extinguishing Apparatus; and I do herebydeclare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sullicient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.- 1 v My invention relates to a. method for lighting gas by means of an electric circuit, the invention being particularly applicable to lighting and extinguishing s treet gas-lamps, by an electric telegraph'or circuit, which, through an elcctro-magnet and armature connected with each gas-burner or 1amp,'is made to operate a ratchetwheel, connected to and actuating a. valve or cock for opening and shutting o' supply of gas to the burner, euch magnetic coil being surroundedA by asecondary coil of wire, in which secondary coils, by the action of the primary coils, a spark-producing current is induced, so that by connecting one secondary coil with the burner, und the other secondary coil with an insulated platina. point, brought close to the tip of the burner, or to the gas-issuing orice, a spark or succession of'sparks is produced,'which lights the gas.

:I he drawings represent at A a'sectional elevation of my apparatus, used in connection with each burner, and at B a front elevation of the magnetic coils and armature.

a denotes the base,-and I the top platetofa box, for containing tue mechanism to he connected with each lamp. c c denote two connected magnetic coils, each composedof n. bundle of soft, ne iron wires, d, surrounded by a coil of coarse wire, e.- The poles of these coils are connected, by the wiresf, with the main circuit, in

which circuit is the series of lamps, connected, by the main circuit wire, with the' main station. g denotes an4 armature mounted on a rqckeblever, L, fulcrumed at and arranged to be attracted by both poles of the centre wires, ns seen at B. Beneath the plate b is mounted, in suitable bearings, a shaft, 7c, carrying a ratchet-wheel, l, which ratchet is worked by a pawl, m, hung upon the armaturelever z., the point of the pawl being held against the ratchet by a spring, n. On one side of the ratchet-wheel is a crank-pin, o, to which is jointed a D-shaped spring, p, as seen at A, the upper end of the spring being connected to a valve-rod, g, which carries v. valve, r, working in a valve-chamber, s. This chamber is connected with the gas-supply pipe, through an orifice, i, and with the burner u, through an orifice v. A plug, w, is inserted or screwed into and closes the top of thev chamber s, an trilice, 2:, being made through this plug, and the connection of the gas-inlet oriee t' with the valve-chamber being through orifice ze, and the bottom of this plug constitutes a seat, against which the upper face ofthe valve is carried, to cu't oli` the connection of the supply-pipe with the burner, this being e'ected when the valve is raised. At the bottom oi' the valve-chamber is a valve-seat, y, against which the lower face of the valve is brought, when the valve is drawn down to open the connection between the burner and the supply-pipe, the valve at such time closing the valve-tube of the valve-rod, and preventing all escape of gas down through the valve-rod tube.

Connected with the main circuit is a circuit-brealier, by operating which, in the lwell-known manner, the armature is alternately attracted by and repellcd from the magnets, each upward movement of the armature with the pawl effecting movement of the ratchet-wheel oneor more teeth, the number of intermittent moreA ments of the armature, and the consequent extent of rotation of the ratchct-wheel, being controllcdby the circuit-breaker. The movement of theratchet-wheel communicates through the crank-pin o, and theconneotingL spring p, of the valve, movement to either close or open the connection between the gas-burner and the gasA supply pipe, as may be necessary, as will be readily understood.

By making the connection between the valve rod and the ratchet-crank, by means of the spring, as described, the valve. is always sure to be pressed against its respective seats when the ratchet turns the crankpin to its'hghest and lowest positions, and is held there by pressure of the spring, while the spring-connection ailows the cianl;-pin to continue its rotation, at proper times, after the valve is forced against either sent.

The arrangement of the valve and the passages into and from the valve or gas-chamber, allows the valve and-rod to be loosely iitted in the valve-chamber, so as to freely move without possibility-ot` obstruction: Each main circle c c ofthe electro-magnet is surrounded by ai'secondary coil, z, and the two coils z being ccn-v nectcd by a wire, ai, an electric current is induced in these coils 2, so that if the two poles are bronghtinto con* nection, to make a circuit, a spark or series of sparks will be generated.A For this purpose I connect one pole with the metal plate' b, and thereby with the top ot' the burner, and the other pole with an insulated platinapointed wire, b2, the point of which is brought `to such distance fromthe jet-point ofthe burner that when the current-is produced in the secondary coil, a spark will ily from the platina. point to the burner, and the gas, at euch vibration of the armature and movement of the ratchet, if turned ou, will be lighted by the spark or sparks thus produced. l

As spark-producing coilshnve heretofore been made, the poles havebeen et the opposite ends of a long central bundle of wires, the armature vibrating to and from one end only. To get tbe full power of the primary coil, to attract the armature, for the purpose of using the coil not only as a. spark-producing coil, but as a. coil to e'ect, through the armature, the movement of the ratchet, and through such movement the opening and closing of the v`alve,hud to arrange the coil within the smallest practical space, I make it in two parts, as shown, connecting the two primary helices by the wire, und the two secondary helices by the wire, and arranging the armature to be attracted by both centre bundles of wire', as` shown.

No Rumkot or spark-producing coil has, to my knpn'ledge, been thus arranged, or, through such arrangement, has been made to no't only produce the sparks through the secondary current, butto produce an intermittent movement of a ratchet-Wheel through its primary current.

1. I claim, in combination with the ratchet and its crank, the spring connecting the crunk to the valverod, substantially as shown and described.

2. I also claim the combination and arrangement of the valve, the valve-chamber, and the inlet and outlet for the gas, when the valve is so arranged that it shuts'oi communication' between the valve'chamber and the vslve-rod tube when connection is open between the supply-pipe and the burner, and shuts off communication between the supply and burner-pipes when the gas is not burning.

FRANK BEAN. Witnesses:

J. B. Cnosnr', Fnmrcrs GoULn. 

